Inland trip on Jamaica

Dan and Cathy from S/V Sea Star recommended that we rent a car and travel into the Blue Mountains.  It was an expensive rental, but we split the cost.  We enjoyed the change of climate as I drove up, up and up.  There is hardly a straight or flat section of road.  One is expected to honk the horn as one negotiates the one-and-one-half lane, blind curves and pot holes.  Meeting a car was exciting, but not as exciting as meeting a truck or bus.  The drive is spectacular.

We arrived at Mount Edge late in the afternoon.  I was very ready to stop driving and relax.

The hotel consists of several small structures with more under construction.  Our's is on the lower left.

Our room, "the Roost."

Our corner of the dining room

Dan and Cathy are accomplished birders and they helped us spot several.

This area is rich with some of the indigenous species and we were able to spot and photograph some very special residents.

A Jamaican Tody, right next to the road

Red-billed Streamertail Hummingbird (AKA Doctor Bird) sighted from our balcony

Our hostess arranged for us to visit her friend at a coffee plantation.  We thoroughly enjoyed meeting Dorothy Twyman and learning all about coffee growing, processing, brewing and drinking.

Mrs Twyman and her husband Alex (deceased) own the Old Tavern Plantation

The beans are sorted, one by one in order to meet Mrs. Twyman's standard of quality

She served us coffee and cookies

Her view from the sitting room overlooking the coffee plantation

I took this photo of one of Mrs. Twyman's Amaryllis just for Mom

We learned that the best way to brew coffee is in a French press or a drip coffee maker.  A percolator ruins coffee.  The water is too hot. She brews with a well-used Mr. Coffee.  It was the best tasting coffee ever.  We all bought coffee and in hindsight, we should have bought more.

On our way back to The Edge, we stopped at the Gap for lunch

Low clouds and the view of Kingston from The Gap.  Our hotel, The Edge, is quite near here.

We went to the Blue and John Crow Mountains National Park and hiked one of the trails, enjoying the exotic flowers along the way.

After Breakfast, we headed to Kingston and visited the Bob Marley Museum.  

We stopped at the Mega Mart and filled the car with provisions because we were headed to very wild places from Jamaica.  This would be our last opportunity to get "stuff."  There just is no "stuff" on our route and even at our destination in Panama - the San Blas Islands, ten days away - there is not much "stuff."  We expect to have Larry, Christina and baby Dorothy aboard, if we make it there, and we need to have food for them aboard now.

We got back to Port Antonio and found our boats in good shape as Ron picked us up at the dock to head out to the anchorage.  We were tired, but it was Ron's birthday and Barb felt strongly that no one should have to cook their own dinner on their birthday and so Ron came aboard Jupiter's Smile to celebrate.